The invention relates in general to display hooks for the support and display of merchandise on perforated panel board. In particular, the invention is directed to a novel and improved form of such display hooks provided with a simplified and effective means for positively locking the hook in its assembled position on the display panel.
Panel board display hooks are available in a wide variety of constructions, suitable for various specific end uses. The hook of the present invention is designed specifically for applications in which accidental dislodgement of the display hook from its mounted location may be a problem. For example, in certain types of rack jobbing merchandise plans, the panel board display units are preassembled at the factory, with the merchandise display hooks in predetermined, desirable locations on individual panel board display units. The preassembled panel and hook arrangements are shipped to the display location, where they are unpackaged and set up by the personnel of the retail outlet. As will be easily appreciated, conventional panel board hook arrangements might easily become dislodged from their preassembled locations during shipping and handling of the preassembled display, largely defeating the advantages of the factory preassembly. In addition to the above, display hooks which are relatively light in weight may easily become accidentally dislodged from their display positions at the retail outlet, as a result of accidental contact, for example. To avoid or minimize the possibility of accidental dislodgement, many panel board display hanger designs incorporate some kind of device for locking the hanger in its stalled position. Representative such arrangements are shown in the Lucietto et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,452,954, for example. Additional examples are shown in the Staudte, Jr. U.S. Pat. No. 3,964,712, the Lallement U.S. Pat. No. 3,926,395, the Scheneman U.S. Pat. No. 3,545,711, the Salava et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,516,634, the Hindley U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,677 and the Alling U.S. Pat. No. 2,987,286.
The present invention provides a unique and improved, highly simplified, low cost arrangement providing for positive locking of a panel board display hook assembly on a display panel. In one particularly advantageous form, the display hook of the invention provides for an upwardly extending, integral flexible tongue, along the back edge of a molded plastic base element. The configuration and location of this flexible tongue is such that it must be resiliently deflected in order to either insert the base into mounted position on the panel board or to remove it. Provision is made for insertion of a wire merchandise support hook after mounting of the plastic base on the perforated display board. The wire hook and/or the resilient tongue, according to the invention, are so contoured that a portion of the wire bears against the outer face of the integral, resilient tongue, when the wire is mounted in the plastic base. The relatively rigid wire thus serves to positively lock the base in position against dislodgement.
In a modified form of the invention, provision is made for rotatable mounting of the wire display element. The wire element is so mounted and so contoured that, in one rotational orientatio of the wire, the integral resilient tongue provided on the base member may be deflected sufficiently to enable mounting and dismounting of the display hook. After mounting of the hook, however, the hook is rotated to its normal orientation, in which a portion of the hook bears rigidly against the otherwise flexible tongue to provide a rigid, positive locking action.
In the above described modifications, in which the wire merchandise support provides a rigid locking action, the flexible tongues are useful in providing a temporary, resilient self-locking action and also by way of preventing marring of the surface of the perforated panel board.
In a modified form of the invention, the base member advantageously may be made of a single piece, stamped-out section of spring steel, for example. Provision is made for the rotatable mounting of a specially contoured wire merchandise support. When the wire element is rotated to a retracted position, adequate clearance is provided for the mounting and demounting of the base member on a display panel. After the device is mounted, the wire element is pivoted to its normal, outwardly projecting position, and locked in such position by appropriate detent means. When the wire is in this position, a portion thereof is positioned to bear upon, or closely overlie, the front face of the panel board, at a location above the openings through which the mounting lugs extend, to effectively prevent removal of the device from the panel board. The last mentioned modification of the invention may be produced at extremly low cost, to an extent such that it may be feasible in some cases for the device to be utilized a single time and then discarded. This can be advantageous for special purpose, preassembled merchandise display racks, which are received from the manufacturer preloaded with merchandise and are intended to be discarded after the merchandise has been completely sold.
For a better understanding of the above and other features and advantages of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention and to the accompanying drawings.